I’m David Gunn of Knight Furniture, your HFA president for 2021. I’ve never looked more forward to a new year than this one. Yet as painful as 2020 was on many levels, I did learn a few lessons. I was reminded never to take anything, or anyone, for granted. It turns out an old dog can learn new tricks when it’s necessary to survive. Good things can come from bad experiences. And it’s so much better to have a community support system in your corner when you face adversity.
With a new year comes a new President of HFA, and I have the privilege of following in the footsteps of my dear friend, Jesús Capó, from El Dorado Furniture. Thanks to his outstanding leadership and CEO, Mark Schumacher, and our fantastic staff, HFA found new ways to thrive in the most challenging year. More impressively, HFA sharpened its focus on our industry’s needs and rapidly adapted to the new landscape so our members could themselves thrive in the roller coaster year of 2020.
HFA has been out front, leading the charge to help you overcome the hurdles of 2020. Who could have predicted the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic? Or the supply chain breaking? Or the worsening labor market? Thankfully HFA provided insight and advice on these and many other challenges furniture retailers faced last year.
Thanks to our lobbyists in Washington, D.C., we had a front-row seat to the COVID-19 relief legislation process. More importantly, HFA was part of the discussion, making sure our lawmakers heard the voices of our industry and our members. Our HFA Government Relations Action Team (G.R.A.T.) conducted weekly zoom meetings throughout the year to stay informed and strategize our next move on this and several other vital matters. The G.R.A.T. leader is one of our members, and I encourage you to join me along with Mark Schumacher, our lobbyists, and other HFA members on the team. It may be the single most impactful benefit I had received from HFA in 2020.
As we optimistically enter 2021, we know many challenges will remain. That’s why more than ever, we all need the reliable support system of HFA to lend a helping hand, to keep us informed, to offer solutions, and to influence those in positions of power.
I am deeply honored to serve you and this great organization. Please email me at dgunn@knightfurniture.com. Together let’s take those bad experiences of the last year and turn them into great things for our businesses in 2021.
If you are not an HFA member, I encourage you to join so we can be of service to you and your business today.
